Chapter 81: Rain (4)
8DuThe very first thing I did after the trade restriction was lifted was give a small bribeno, a gift to the fixed-account users.tnzXv
jBYDYbAnd when I say gift, I just mean giving them chunks of fish on skewers.lnP3
TmGyzvThe fish was so huge that even after handing it out like that, I still had plenty left to eat.3u4xEFe
VvqYqL[WildGrills: How does it taste?]BN3
bDTb5[HeavenlyDemon: It is excellent. A true delicacy among delicacies. I believe this is the most delicious food I have ever tasted.]taf
GjWki2[WildGrills: You’re flattering me too much. I’m really glad you liked it haha.]uPrTQhW
xJNn[HeavenlyDemon: It is not an exaggeration. For something prepared so simply to have this kind of flavor makes me wonder how it would taste if it were cooked properly.]8TV52A
DxW[WildGrills: Once I have more breathing room, I’ll cook it for you properly. Once I have breathing room.]MOWbeA
EuS[HeavenlyDemon: You do not know how long that breathing room will last. I am fine as I am.]xrvlD
qs29IZAs expected, HeavenlyDemon absolutely loved it.DgKpzX
zufDPDIt felt like no matter what I gave her, she would happily accept it.CVRf39
THbchGiEven so, hearing her praise made me feel pretty good.tvL
SM4zX[Swordmaster: Why does this fish taste like meat? I envy the fact that you get to eat this every day.]n3rB
hN1AUDG[WildGrills: Want to come here?]3xFFGF
86C[Swordmaster: But my mom’s cooking is still the best.]08a
TnOKM5[WildGrills: It’s been so long since I had homemade food that I wouldn’t know.]yZ1sGLe
U7qflc[Swordmaster: Ah sorry. I’m really sorry.]ZOYWs
LeYQnL[WildGrills: I was joking haha. But I guess it really is that good.]jPQ
jWTO0iiSwordmaster praised it too. I honestly felt satisfied.iIQ
d0URII had only salted and grilled it, yet it still tasted incredible.1DXWxr
j6UCKo[DwarfPassingBy: Hey. Give me more. It’s not enough to drink with.]BLJ
h2SSBWj[WildGrills: You shameless bastard.]zvA
fQPBm[DwarfPassingBy: Giiive me moooor.]a4q8h
x1A[WildGrills: Your messages already smell like alcohol, just go to sleep;;]zY1X
7vwQWell, the dwarf was still saying ridiculous things without any shame whatsoever.nMsKweh
Ljtk3NJudging by the way he typed, he seemed completely drunk.SzNHQRh
eJGtiStill, he didn’t seem intent on squeezing me dry, so he dropped the subject there.raoVsYN
YMaiAfter that, I shared some with DemonPrincess, StarlightPrincess, AllFather, SunForEver, and the other fixed-account users who had helped me.T5Ts5D
LoDn7Most of them reacted positively, and that made me feel proud.pfxP
ljkJUxAnd finally, even the Moderator.l0xP
98sTThat was how the distribution event(?) ended.BAz
dBTcB‘By the way, the Moderator really does seem religious.’FEvcZ
xndFWhile talking with her a bit, she asked whether I had any intention of believing in a god.THX1q
cXoIt felt like someone trying to evangelize me, so I was a little uncomfortable, but since she didn’t push further, I didn’t respond badly either.59U
vJJShe just seemed genuinely curious about why I insulted the gods.A5yCT40
oNpMHkUSo I simply answered honestly.J2eWo
EAEk7AKrrrraaaash!1DFOeP
z10mbljAnd it seems I’m now witnessing the consequences of insulting the gods.4h15m
0rTUw95I couldn’t help sighing as I watched the rain fall even harder than before.86nw
GTpwtT1There was definitely no exploring today anymore.Ro4T
oGSx2v9The weather had gotten even worse.2MshT
BaXxZjWith thunder and lightning included, it looked like the sky itself was performing a ritual to stop me from going outside.kUyYbB
HD9am8G‘This is getting ridiculous.’4uP
or6L0Thankfully, I still had plenty of supplies stored away.QZmMKFC
ZvIAnd I had also managed to finish the drainage while the rain had briefly stopped.Xcjy
v8yEIf I hadn’t done that, the trench probably would’ve filled up or overflowed with water.JVk
w8JWEcAnd cleaning everything afterward would’ve been far worse.SJfijnT
HHL9IL0‘Just in case, I should install more bars too.’OjYo
DDRaubMThis very morning, right after the rain started, a raccoon had shown up inside the cave.G02n
JWvQXNot only did it come to warm itself by the fire, it even tried to steal a fasting pill.thoy0Vg
sHfHThat one ended up becoming Wonmo’s snack thanks to the sloth, but I still needed to stay alert against other creatures.NGp
OcaUu‘And that was only a raccoon. If it had been something else, it could’ve been dangerous.’2dix
jJIXlTEven the raccoon was dangerous.5GPbL
DYszOIf it had been rabid, things would’ve been serious.rM8u2v
rF4Though now that I think about it, the sloth was dangerous too, but since he hated bathing, there wasn’t much I could do about it.i77xpK
JH9yWcI looked at the torrential rain covering my entire field of vision and shook my head.CsE
EIKBQ2tLosing an entire day put me in a bad mood.gHQvCe
02QWy“Wonmo. Come here.”LSZPRe3
irQ“Kyuu?”RySnBye
GCPbjWell then, I’ll heal this bad mood by hugging Wonmo.mTBo
odo6I44He looked like a fluffy little furball, and every time I hugged him, I felt my mind calming down.uUe
JiE4bcWonmo didn’t resist either and simply let himself be hugged.fqX
gX6Lj‘This guy will probably end up much bigger than me someday too, right?’CPitJJ
mRgdR4qWonmo’s mother, the Owlbear that ended up being sold at the auction house.1npbNQX
JE7DjgThough saying “sold” sounded weird, technically she really was sold.X490
ku7JoAnyway, that Owlbear had been as huge as a truck.97mr
lyUWhich meant Wonmo would also eventually grow to that size.jvXQ
I366tl‘I’d rather that not happen while we’re still in this forest.’7qEB7Ni
sSnnqNI had heard that an Owlbear needed at least three years to fully mature.ZiqvDY9
34HConsidering that a normal bear took around ten years to fully grow, that speed was terrifying.4Tg0G
A20FC‘Though they also eat monstrous amounts of food.’WZS
3oCUIgOwlbears were creatures that sacrificed everything for rapid growth, gaining monstrous appetites in return.UU8
xg6p8zkThankfully, the Forest of Four Seasons had plenty of food, and I still had a decent amount of money loaded into the gallery.mz6
6xoNShhhhhhhhhh!!jmQWgt
74fOOThe problem was still the rain.8vFsdx
cH8HyvIf it kept falling like this, my survival would start becoming difficult.AO1CRTY
Ncj0Not only because the river could overflow, but also because unexpected situations could happen, like that raccoon entering the cave.0lkm
CA2Even though I had installed bars, there were probably creatures in this forest capable of easily breaking through them.lyY
igDxuOthers wouldn’t even need to break them, like the lizard currently trying to climb over them.5SabRmm
E1BZxETap tap tap tap—enXz7
sdNOf course, anything trying to get through would also receive punishment.biK
Ia4wrRs“Wonmo. Want to eat that too?”YlPd7L
MMR“Kyuu!”2qoASK
W1B6EThe lizard trying to climb the bars ended up becoming Wonmo’s snack.36vkDU
Fm3PihJWith the rain, all kinds of animals were trying to get into the cave.b2Ni
fhAX4fI couldn’t explore, and there wasn’t much else to do either.RCv037z
ngyBut relaxing wasn’t really an option.BGuhO
FfKPLA7‘Rather than sleeping, I should practice the internal circulation technique.’dhg
1rwtbWhen I had nothing to do, practicing the technique was perfect.ENGVP
5FS1UEXIt also completely removed fatigue.bLLh3
WQU16Just as I was about to sit down cross-legged and start breathing, I saw the sloth standing in front of me.aVS0s
xFRbTIThat guy was staring at me with his usual calm expression.TbpRA
g5fOkI stared back at him for a moment, and suddenly, a brilliant idea came to mind.B9K
Eb4B‘This guy seems to understand what I say, so what if I teach him the internal circulation technique?’fd28dw
NpdAnyone who heard that would probably think I was an idiot.D0m
6NOFWhich was exactly why it was worth trying.vdWS8
48lAnd at the same time, it would also be a chance for the sloth to become even stronger.IwaC
UtDHe was already strong as it was, but if he also learned an internal circulation technique.eNvtF
sOztXbThat was far too tempting.yEF
plyKz1Though first, I should ask in the gallery.t39o9Kx
tOI3sEqIt was worth confirming beforehand.DMY
35xTitle) Can animals also use internal circulation techniques?rZBvOXc
386D1WildGrillsDCEVWi
qw0CD(Photo of the sloth staring at me)hvg
DxPbhI want to teach an internal circulation technique to this idiot. Can animals do it too?GXZ
WkmHe’s already faster than me, so I don’t think it would be bad if he became even stronger.HEw
UAlyj8ㄴHeavenlyDemon) Grills. I hope you are not thinking of teaching him the technique I passed down to you.KvfkVj
xMGㄴWildGrills) Even if I teach him the verses, he wouldn’t understand them anyway.FEC0h
2mDwGㄴHeavenlyDemon) Hmm. That is also true. Though he does seem fairly intelligent, doesn’t he?APZGl9T
KnbㄴWildGrills) Intelligence and wisdom are two different things, Master.0Iu29
yVOFㄴHeavenlyDemon) Now I understand. Even so, I have never heard of an animal using an internal circulation technique.GLN7r
9i5LqAㄴSwordmaster) Not mana training techniques specifically, but there are similar cases. There are relatively intelligent monsters like orcs, goblins, or gnolls. Though liches are an exception since they were originally living humans.4lz
BqlUㄴWildGrills) So they can use mana?JErh2
0ggㄴSwordmaster) Yes. Though rather than specialized training, it would be closer to a mutation. But the important point is that they can use mana.7Jy6Y
VCNP1trㄴWildGrills) So normal animals don’t exist.yV2UcI
4rYKQrㄴSwordmaster) Among the monsters I’ve seen, no. If they did exist, it would be a massive sensation.2zva9x
Mfnxv3ㄴAllFather) There are ancient records of attempts to teach mana techniques to monkeys and primates. But there was never a single successful case.esQ
XmkNrㄴWildGrills) So it would just be pointless effort?jZ9l
NiZ8WftㄴAllFather) I don’t know about that either. Like Swordmaster said, a “mutation” could be different. And if you think about it, the sloth is also a kind of mutation, so it’s not impossible.RFn
XfVㄴHey. What if he becomes stronger and ends up killing you?guRD
VVRㄴHe’ll kill you and then steal all your fasting pills.u1Ws
i4s904ㄴHonestly, he really does seem capable of it.r0SZhF
fjQwThat last comment sounded a little terrifying.6LeIO
fzT3dAs soon as I read it, I turned to look at the sloth.haP7O6
Ew9iHe had that face that practically screamed, “I’m a totally harmless animal~”.e78QJ
C6tgtqBut hidden behind that face were terrifying claws.pBdLt
6MORY“Sloth.”oTmoi
Kzqnw“……”YWF
IlCub4“Even if you become stronger, you won’t kill me, right?”MCXoDSP
qrRhURfNod— Nod—MyQRd
X24Incredibly enough, he seemed to understand and nodded.WaYQn
lUJTeDvRather, he reacted like he was saying, “Why would I kill you? I’d only lose benefits.”KWBlnca
MOQkVxㄴWildGrills) I asked him and he said he won’t kill me.LE4U
Txu74uNㄴAnd how do you know that?TqXh04
tewLQOㄴWildGrills) He nodded his head. I saw it.AzRDyJP
qqDYㄴYou can tell from a mile away he’s lying lmao.7g9
HP0VLEEㄴIt just means he’s waiting for the right moment to betray you lmao.ecZ
SMy0xohㄴYou really trust an animal? That’s how you get stabbed in the back.aYEsgSd
rQ45PkDㄴWildGrills) If he’s already stronger than me, what would even be the point of betraying me?;;xrwho
MYxFolXㄴHe’ll kill you once you become strong too. Isn’t it obvious?x6F87jr
InKㄴWildGrills) Don’t speak badly about our sloth;;;3jc
vzcZUS0Even if that were true, the sloth had already saved my life several times.1aA
oTEGCI just needed to make sure to keep him happy by giving him plenty of fasting pills.677FC
a7C6Anyway, I decided to teach him an internal circulation technique or rather, a mana training method.WipiE4h
NeAItEveryone said it was stupid, though it also seemed fun.er8
IDfKCXㄴSwordmaster) Seriously, why do you do things like this?;;iVdxe
i4JㄴAre you a woman?32HgF00
Qj4YbㄴSwordmaster) And what does that have to do with anything?2qW
NZcZㄴThen you wouldn’t understand lmao.Fn2yKi
H6GㄴPrecisely because it’s weird, you have to do it!Qegc
WNWbㄴExactly. Exactly.Avwe
Yw8zACI set the gallery aside and sat down in front of the sloth.RNp
70ijTThe sloth simply watched me with that same calm expression as always, without doing anything else.N169
OAu5“Alright, sloth. Try to imitate me.”AQB
fnyW6iy“……”8K4jwTC
9yY11l2When I sat cross-legged, the sloth slowly began adjusting his posture.KmHIlg
6PsGA52I thought it would be impossible because his legs were so short compared to his long arms, but it wasn’t.5kDV
hda69s9Though absurdly slowly, he managed to sit cross-legged little by little.1YM6
kUTVvSurprisingly flexible.wWl
4T8LpRAnd he didn’t even fall backward, so he seemed to have quite a bit of core strength.kWjg
JdB9jU‘Well, he’s a guy who climbs trees.’lYP
0bXJOVoWhen I straightened my back, he straightened his too.hWo0BDo
Yr6TNow only the breathing remained.0C66Hrt
ruRuAI explained exactly what HeavenlyDemon had taught me.a4ZzAH
DGrS“Alright. Now you need to breathe. If you focus strength into your abdomen while breathing, you’ll start feeling something.”98H7M
MBawtE“……”SxOrVc
WbIAxz6“I’ll show you how to do it.”CuGtm
38aVHOhI briefly entered the internal circulation technique to give him an example.fVE
hy8jNwbIt was only a quick demonstration.ZwV96
7471ZWhen I finished and opened my eyes, the sloth was still staring at me.PvtV
734“Try it. The important things are the breathing and the abdomen. Understand?”buv4Fb
28u9KW“……”aEt
a18“You know where the abdomen is, right?”sZ6J
E54bmJust in case, I explained everything step by step.2LA
nsKMgPaAnd surprisingly, he started imitating my movements exactly.o98
BIHdjrIt hadn’t taken me very long to sense mana.BYkZn4
BkvIt also helped that I ate three fasting pills per meal and that the Forest of Four Seasons was overflowing with mana.Qr7espn
oGnhThen maybe the sloth could also perceive mana quickly.Egjqpv
r91A3LWith that small hope in mind, I waited patiently.uYJG
g434WV“……”IUw39nB
mgR4HH“……”Ylxdz
BDR7h7g“……”DsR2WaF
5fKWWD“Huu…”pD0WgQS
uWYyN5G“……”3THb
M5rY4UlAbout three minutes passed before he finally inhaled.kEbkgsQ
BNOnWatching him slowly open his mouth was agonizing, but I patiently endured it.XmfyC8
T6ghr77He had already inhaled, so now all that remained was exhaling.Qe5eV
yPwsDvIn other words, completing one full breath.GF0
GP6“Huuu……”nURDmCZ
GB2cx“Just stop already.”m54BoOh
zFoCMy patience had limits too.0hzv
YRxNow I completely understood why researchers gave up on studies about sloths.HKjTqbm
YQbIEven their normal movements were agonizingly slow.pYu
x0e‘Besides, he’s already strong even without this.’R56Z
OLzI sighed and sat back down cross-legged.cdC
TtNBgnIf this was going to take forever, I might as well train myself first.KUAxpTi
sRt6Wx‘Giving him enough fasting pills should be enough.’lkgg
Rm7tLThinking that, I focused on the technique again.15oFyV
www***SiGH
dVfT0HHWhile Grills closed his eyes and concentrated on his internal circulation technique.xDB3
PDyjUvP“Huuu……”acKC
ckKEThe sloth, though absurdly slow, continued “breathing” little by little.2mH2TS
f5BwK0“Huuuu……”2kLh
8R1SEven if he was so slow that he could drive anyone crazy.De6rx
WGn“Huuu……”HSU0C
d4o4huDIt couldn’t be denied that, at the very least, he was improving, even if only slightly.6mMi
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